This AI short film explores grief, emotional avoidance, and the difficult process of healing. It is inspired by Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy (1321), particularly its themes of descent and transformation, as well as the surreal isolation of the Prada Marfa installation and the confusion of the biblical Tower of Babel. These references shape the film’s surreal architecture and psychological atmosphere.

 

The story follows Lux, who enters an isolated elevator building after the end of a relationship, hoping to escape their grief through distraction and superficial pleasures. Instead, Lux is carried deeper into a series of surreal spaces, each representing a stage of emotional avoidance and grief. As the distractions become increasingly empty, Lux is forced to confront the pain they have been running from.

 

In the processing room, Lux finally faces their reflection and accepts the reality of their emotions. From there, the elevator is no longer an option. Lux must climb back to the surface by stairs, physically working their way through each stage they had descended through.

 

The journey reflects the film’s central idea: you cannot get over loss quickly by avoiding it. Healing requires moving through the pain, step by step, and earning your way back up.